Yet another fine dining establishment is struggling

[pubic_assistance]

The 9 worst restaurant chains...

I just ate at an IHOP on Saturday on my way up North of NYC. Although the service is not what it used to be, my blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon were delicious as always. No real complaints to be made. I continue to support this chain whenever I can. 

Edited August 18 by pubic_assistance
grammar

[rvwnsd]

On 8/15/2025 at 11:09 AM, Vegas_Millennial said:

I was just talking about Chili's last night.  My family and friends and I used to go to Chili's almost weekly during the 2010's.  We stopped going when they were forced to shut down in 2020.  When we finally went back in 2023, the changes were noticeable.  The decor and atmosphere and clientele was louder, younger, and "cheaper".  It felt like what Chuck E Cheese would do if it served burgers and didn't have an arcade.  We thought it was just an off-night so we went back later to give it another try.  Same thing, it was loud and felt "cheap".

I'm glad they survived the economic shift of the pandemic shutdowns, but the new shift in service/clientele is just not for me and my peers anymore.

I've been eating at Chili's when I take road trips and I'm happy to say they have improved. Their recent attempt at "improving the guest experience" seems to have been sincere. They are one of the few restaurants (of any type) who can steam broccoli correctly. Hot and tender but not soggy. I could probably eat their chips and salsa with a side of broccoli and be happy.

[rvwnsd]

13 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

The 9 worst restaurant chains...

I just ate at an IHOP on Saturday on my way up North of NYC. Although the service is not what it used to be, my blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon were delicious as always. No real complaints to be made. I continue to support this chain whenever I can. 

There's a very busy mall-turned-power center near me in Central Phoenix that had a struggling outparcel formerly occupied by a Pier 1 and Texas Roadhouse. IHOP moved in and that building took off. It now has a sandwich place and a fish place, in addition to IHOP, and all three are super busy. Quality wins every time.

[samhexum]

Multimillionaire baby boomer Julia Stewart was told that she would never become Applebee’s CEO while working as its president in the late 1990s. So she left and went on to be chief executive at rival American casual dining chain IHOP—then she bought her former employer for $2.3 billion. After the acquisition, she called Applebee’s then-chair and CEO, breaking the news: “We don’t need two of us, so I’m gonna have to let you go.”
 

 

Ex-Applebee's exec was told she’d never be CEO—she bought the chain and fired her naysayer: ‘We don't need two of us, so I'm gonna have to let you go’

APPLE.NEWS

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Multimillionaire baby boomer Julia Stewart grew IHOP’s business and got back at her former employer...

 

[Ali Gator]

On 3/11/2025 at 1:19 PM, azdr0710 said:

I remember when it was "Boston Chicken" before it was "Boston Market". I liked the place a lot and I  suppose case studies exist on why it didn't make it. Was it another one of these private equity deals?  

Back then, there was a number of these 'slow roasted' chicken fast food restaurants in New England. Shortly after the success of 'Boston Chicken' in the late 1980s, Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemen's invested in 'Roger Clemen's Roasted Chickens', opening the first one in RI in the early 1990s (I think Clemens had just turned 30 and he was regarded as one of the top pitchers in MLB at the time).The food was horrible, and the location closed within a year or so. Kenny Rogers also invested in a franchise chain called 'Kenny Rogers' Slow Roasters' at the same time, competing with Boston Chicken and Roger Clemens. That didn't last long, either (at least not in New England).

[samhexum]

7 minutes ago, Ali Gator said:

Kenny Rogers also invested in a franchise chain called 'Kenny Rogers' Slow Roasters' at the same time... That didn't last long, either (at least not in New England).

There was a location near me. I thought the food was decent but it was on a very busy thoroughfare and there was no parking, so I think I went twice.

[samhexum]

https://www.aol.com/articles/biggest-changes-coming-hooters-chains-185133682.html

Biggest Changes Coming To Hooters After The Chain's Founders Take Back Control

A group called Original Hooters LLC, made up of some of the original owners and investors, has taken control of the restaurant again, buying it back during the bankruptcy process with plans to reinvigorate the franchise.

The new-but-old owners want to take Hooters back to its roots, and for them, that means making it family-friendly, doing away with the controversial and revealing uniforms the chain is known for. The orange shorts and white t-shirts remain, but the plan is for the shorts to become more modest, keeping in line with how uniforms looked in the 1980s when Hooters opened. Those shorts are by no means long, but they are closer to a traditional athletic short and not as revealing as some later versions were under the previous owners.

As for the rest of the uniform, which is traditionally just a tight, revealing shirt, there are no changes planned. Instead, the rest of the revamp will focus on the restaurant itself and the food that it serves.

Hooters is famous for chicken wings, but despite that, reviews over the years have not always been kind. The wings are often considered inconsistent or average, although we ranked them fairly high amongst other popular chains' wings. In order to address this problem and put the wings front and center again, the chain plans to make all of its wings fresh, no longer using frozen products. That also includes hand-breading the wings according to the original recipe and using AA-grade butter in the wing sauce. That focus on freshness will extend across the menu, which will be simplified. No word on exactly what that means or what may be cut, but the new owners seem focused on higher-quality ingredients. Another thing diners can look forward to at the revamped Hooters is salad dressings that are made in-house. 

 

[pubic_assistance]

On 11/6/2025 at 2:10 AM, samhexum said:

The new-but-old owners want to take Hooters back to its roots, and for them, that means making it family-friendly, doing away with the controversial and revealing uniforms the chain is known for.

Does Hooters have male servers ? I know plenty of women who love to oggle muscular men in short-shorts and a tight tank top. Screw the "family-friendly" business model. Why not go full on adult only but make the place more appealing to female and gay male customers ?

[Lotus-eater]

Wendy’s quietly confirms 300 store closures next year

NYPOST.COM

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The popular fast food chain aims to boost traffic and profitability at its remaining US restaurants.

 

[BSR]

2 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

Does Hooters have male servers ? I know plenty of women who love to oggle muscular men in short-shorts and a tight tank top. Screw the "family-friendly" business model. Why not go full on adult only but make the place more appealing to female and gay male customers ?

Someone did try a male version of Hooters called Tallywhackers in Dallas, but it didn’t work out.  Apparently the concept was a hit but the food wasn’t:  Tallywackers, the male Hooters, abruptly shutters in Dallas

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

20 hours ago, BSR said:

22 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

Does Hooters have male servers ? I know plenty of women who love to oggle muscular men in short-shorts and a tight tank top. Screw the "family-friendly" business model. Why not go full on adult only but make the place more appealing to female and gay male customers ?

Someone did try a male version of Hooters called Tallywhackers in Dallas, but it didn’t work out.  Apparently the concept was a hit but the food wasn’t:  Tallywackers, the male Hooters, abruptly shutters in Dallas

Females in general don't tip as much as men do for attractive servers.  Hence the plethora of options for strip clubs catering to straight men, but much fewer options catering to straight women.

You'll need a lot of gay male patrons to pay and tip for what the straight females won't.

[wsc]

19 minutes ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

Females in general don't tip as much as men do for attractive servers.  Hence the plethora of options for strip clubs catering to straight men, but much fewer options catering to straight women.

You'll need a lot of gay male patrons to pay and tip for what the straight females won't.

Well, after all, men can better appreciate the value of a big tip. Especially when it goes in.

[caramelsub]

On 8/17/2025 at 10:37 PM, pubic_assistance said:

The 9 worst restaurant chains...

I just ate at an IHOP on Saturday on my way up North of NYC. Although the service is not what it used to be, my blueberry pancakes, eggs and bacon were delicious as always. No real complaints to be made. I continue to support this chain whenever I can. 

I always thought IHOP pancakes were very… blah. I ate there once and the pancakes had no flavor. I don’t think they even add sugar to the batter. I don’t remember how anything else tastes on their menu. I’ve always been team Waffle House. Their waffles are made with cake batter.

[pubic_assistance]

43 minutes ago, caramelsub said:

I’ve always been team Waffle House.

I went to a Waffle House once. Everything tasted artificial as if half the ingredients were chemical preservatives.  NOT my cup-o-tea at all !

I left everything on my plate, paid my bill and never went back. Found an IHOP nearby instead.  *yum*

SUGAR is NOT a standard ingredient of pancakes, so not sure how YOUR mom made them...but that's not the standard way. The sweet is supposed to come from the syrup or you have fruit cooked in (which is how I prefer them ). I've heard other people who speak romantically about going to Waffle House for a nostalgic taste of Americana, but my impression is that over the years, management has cut down on waste and added a lot of preservatives to make food last longer. No idea if that's taken away from the flavor or I just don't care for the recipes.  I have been team IHOP since I was a kid. 

[BigK]

1 hour ago, caramelsub said:

I always thought IHOP pancakes were very… blah. I ate there once and the pancakes had no flavor. I don’t think they even add sugar to the batter. I don’t remember how anything else tastes on their menu. I’ve always been team Waffle House. Their waffles are made with cake batter.

Waffle House only uses margarine, not butter.  That’s a disqualifier for me otherwise I might enjoy their waffles.

[caramelsub]

49 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

SUGAR is NOT a standard ingredient of pancakes, so not sure how YOUR mom made them...but that's not the standard way. The sweet is supposed to come from the syrup or you have fruit cooked in (which is how I prefer them ). 

Well I guess to each their own. I remember you saying you hate McDonalds, but I love their hotcakes. I don’t typically like pancakes on the regular, but I make an exception for McDonalds hotcakes. They are typically on the sweet side.

[pubic_assistance]

3 hours ago, caramelsub said:

I remember you saying you hate McDonalds

Well I think McDonalds is pretty universally abhorrent to anyone who is a foodie...so thats not just ME. 

I do remember eating pancakes there in the 80s and thinking they were the most tolerable thing on the menu. I dont doubt they've added tons of preservatives to those too. Literally everything on the Menu at McDonalds now gives you cancer or heart failure.

[samhexum]

6 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Well I think McDonalds is pretty universally abhorrent to anyone who is a foodie...so thats not just ME. 

I do remember eating pancakes there in the 80s and thinking they were the most tolerable thing on the menu. I dont doubt they've added tons of preservatives to those too. Literally everything on the Menu at McDonalds now gives you cancer or heart failure.

Admit it; you have always hated them for not making the McRib a permanent part of the menu.

 

[caramelsub]

22 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Well I think McDonalds is pretty universally abhorrent to anyone who is a foodie...so thats not just ME. 

I’m a huge foodie, amateur chef, baker, home cook, but I’m also a fast food junkie. I’m one of those foodies who will choose papa johns and little caesars, over an “authentic” Italian-American pizzeria. Taco Bell, over an “authentic” Mexican restaurant. I just love the consistency of chain restaurants, over fancy stand alone restaurants. I know it’s junk and full of preservatives, but I’m not snobby when it comes to food.

Edited Wednesday at 11:44 PM by caramelsub

[+ JamesB]

Back in my college days, my go to quick breakfast was always the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. I wasn’t really a fan of much else on their menu, except for their fries of course.

[pubic_assistance]

14 hours ago, JamesB said:

I wasn’t really a fan of much else on their menu, except for their fries of course.

Why "of course" ? Their fries are inedible by my standards. We grew up eating only FRESH food.  Nearly ALL American Fast Food is terrible for you and tastes of chemicals.

Fresh cut POMMES FRITES are still one of my favorite indulgences. The fries at McDonalds are no better than the garbage bag of frozen fries you can buy at any discount supermarket.

 

[samhexum]

18 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Why "of course" ? Their fries are inedible by my standards. We grew up eating only FRESH food.  Nearly ALL American Fast Food is terrible for you and tastes of chemicals.

Fresh cut POMMES FRITES are still one of my favorite indulgences. The fries at McDonalds are no better than the garbage bag of frozen fries you can buy at any discount supermarket.

moderators...  @pubic_assistance is engaging in hate speech.

 

[pubic_assistance]

54 minutes ago, samhexum said:

moderators...  @pubic_assistance is engaging in hate speech.

Hysterical.

Are you a MickeyD fries fan  too ?

 

[samhexum]

38 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Are you a MickeyD fries fan  too ?

When they are fresh, hot, & properly salted, yes, but I haven't eaten fa$t food in a couple of year$.

[+ JamesB]

5 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

Why "of course" ? Their fries are inedible by my standards. We grew up eating only FRESH food.  Nearly ALL American Fast Food is terrible for you and tastes of chemicals.

Fresh cut POMMES FRITES are still one of my favorite indulgences. The fries at McDonalds are no better than the garbage bag of frozen fries you can buy at any discount supermarket.

 

 

To each their own. I totally agree they’re unhealthy and bad for you, basically a heart attack wrapped in paper, but to me, they’re still the best tasting ones out of the fast food options in the US. I guess my palate isn’t quite as exquisite and refined as yours. 😁